The Coast of Tuscany

November 19, 2020 | By Peg Kern

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One of our favorite excursions during our amazing our Truly Tuscany Wine Tasting Tour of Western Tuscany is to San Vincenzo, where you have an amazing cooking class and where you can explore the beach and village.

Many people don’t realize that Tuscany has a long and beautiful coast. They think of the Chianti Classico with its amber and ochre hills and its miles of vineyards, unaware of the stunning seascapes that lie to the west. The Tuscan coast, in fact, was immortalized by one of Italy’s most famous sons, the poet Giosuè Carducci (Noble prize for literature, 1906). Carducci’s famous “Traversando la Maremma toscana” (Crossing the Tuscan Maremma) is a moving and nostalgic ode to the poet’s memories of his youth and his unrealized dreams.

See all our culinary vacations in Tuscany.

But coastal Tuscany does not only mean evocative seascapes that have inspired artists and poets for many centuries. It also means food! Many think that Tuscan food is represented simply by the famed cured meats, pastas, soups, and steaks for which the region is known. Seafood in Tuscany? Yes!

The famous town of Viareggio is where western Tuscans often go to buy their fish, fresh off the boats that line the warf and in the fish market. Local restaurants offer specials based on the catch of the day, and you can try the famous “Cacciucco” (Livorno fish soup), a hearty stew with shellfish and a tomato-based broth, similar to a Bouillabaisse or a Cioppino. It is traditionally served with pieced of toasted bread used to soak up the broth. Or, you might try a classic “fritto misto,” an assortment of breaded and fried fish.

Of course, the coast also gives a unique character to the terroir of western Tuscany, which you can discover during the many wine tastings you will enjoy on our Truly Tuscany Wine Tasting Tour. You will have wine tours to Podere Sapaio, Tenuta Argentiera in Bolgheri, Petra winery, Poggio Piano Wine Estate, and Suvereto.